Lourdes Huanca

Photograph of Lourdes Huanca Atencio from 2020. In this image, she is pictured in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Lourdes Esther Huanca Atencio (born 1968) is an indigenous and peasant Peruvian activist and the founder of the National Federation of Female Peasants, Artisans, Indigenous, Native and Salaried Workers of Perú (FENMUCARINAP). In addition to her work with FENMUCARINAP, Huanca Atencio has also held various titles within the Fund for the Development of Indigenous Peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean (FILAC). Following Peru's 2022 failed presidential self-coup attempt, Huanca Atencio has been reportedly living in exile outside of Peru due to her support of Pedro Castillo. She is a member of Peru's Aimara tribe, and her family is from Puno, Peru. She lived with her father until she was eight years old at which point she was sent to live with her mother and step-father.

The organization engages women’s mobilization throughout Peru’s mountain, lowland, and coastal regions. It aims to highlight the intersection of gender, cultural, and environmental issues. It also advocates for the promotion of women’s rights within existing cultural frameworks in order to maintain tradition and indigenous self-determination.

FENMUCARINAP and Huanca Atencio are also involved with work regarding indigenous rights and autonomy in Peru. The organization focuses on political rights, legal protection, and self-determination for women. The concept of autonomy is central to the organization; it focuses on personal and bodily autonomy for women as well as land autonomy for indigenous Peruvians. A poster on the wall at the organization’s main office in Lima, Peru reads, “Nuestro Cuerpo, Nuestro Territorio,” translating to “Our Bodies, Our Territories.” Huanca Atencio also mentions the detrimental effects of merging indigenous Andean cultures with toxic masculinity, stating that toxic masculinity normalizes the exploitation and abuse of women. FENMUCARINAP aims to become an open-space for women to openly talk about their bodies or about their concerns regarding feminism. The primary goal of FILAC is to support the rights and self-development of indigenous peoples throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. As of 2017, FILAC has been granted the status of "Permanent Observer of the General Assembly of the United Nations." The following year, in 2019, Huanca Atencio presented before FILAC through her "Representative of the Work Group of Indigenous Politics" (GTPI) position.

Political involvement Lourdes Huanca Atencio has campaigned for the improvement of women's rights, indigenous rights, and environmental rights, among others. In 2014, Huanca Atencio supported the Global March to Defend Mother Earth during which people from across the world called for increased action on climate change.

Regarding her home country, Peru, Huanca Atencio has frequently discussed its internal divisions and economic problems. Furthermore, Huanca Atencio has discussed the importance of Peruvians being united during times of political conflict. Due to her work in the promotion of human rights, Huanca Atencio was officially recognized by Peru's Ministry of Justice and Human Rights in 2020. Because of her support of Castillo, Huanca Atencio has been living in exile from Peru as of 2023. In the protests following Castillo's removal from office, at least 21 protestors were killed and allegations have been made by the National Human Rights Coordinator regarding the excessive use of force by police against protestors. Huanca Atencio has emphasized how FENMUCARINAP itself is involved in politics and that achieving its goals depends on how well its members understand their own country's politics.